Government urged to turn back Japanese whaler

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd is calling on the federal government to ensure a Japanese whaling ship headed towards an island near Tasmania does not enter Australian waters.

The Yushin Maru No.3, one of three harpoon ships, was about 200 nautical miles from Australia's exclusive economic zone around Macquarie Island, about 1500 kilometres south-east of Tasmania, Sea Shepherd said.

The organisation said the ship was tailing the Sea Shepherd's long-range vessel, Bob Barker, as it made its way towards the tiny island.

Sea Shepherd has three ships and about 100 crew from 21 countries in Antarctic waters to confront Japanese hunting in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, where commercial whaling is banned.

The group's chairman and former federal Greens leader, Bob Brown, said the Abbott government should step in to stop the Yushin Maru from entering Australian waters on Saturday.

The vessel entering Australian waters would be an "affront", Dr Brown said, given that the Federal Court had in the past found Japanese ships guilty of whaling in the Australian Whale Sanctuary.

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"It's like a criminal coming into a police station, effectively, and action would have to be taken," Dr Brown told AAP.

He said he wanted Environment Minister Greg Hunt to "ensure the ship doesn't come into the Australian waters".

"Coming into the territorial waters, it's no different to sailing into Sydney Harbour or up the Derwent River," Dr Brown added.

He said in a similar situation in 2013 a Japanese whaling vessel had turned back at the edge of Australian waters after the previous Labor government made contact with Japan.

But he said it was unclear what action Mr Hunt would take.

"Greg Hunt's well aware of this and has been in contact with ... Sea Shepherd Australia, so we're waiting to see what action they [the government] are taking," Dr Brown said.

Earlier this week, Sea Shepherd said its ships drove the Japanese fleet's factory ship, Nisshin Maru, out of the Antarctic Treaty Zone following a 580 kilometre chase.